Scoto-Norman
Encyclopedia
The term Scoto-Norman is used to described people, families, institutions and archaeological artifacts that are partly Scottish
(in some sense) and partly Norman (in some sense). It is used to refer to people or things of Norman
, Anglo-Norman
, French
or even Flemish or Breton
origin, but are associated with Scotland in the Middle Ages. It is also used for any of these things when they exhibit syncretism
between French or Anglo-French culture on the one hand, and Gaelic
culture on the other.
For instance, the Kings of Scotland between the reign of David I
and the Stewart period are often described as Scoto-Norman. A classic case of Gaelic and French cultural syncretism would be Lochlann
, Lord of Galloway
, who used both a Gaelic (Lochlann) and French name (Roland), and kept followers of both languages. Another example of a Scoto-Norman, would be Robert the Bruce, who had a dual Norman-Gaelic heritage.
Over time, several lowland
clans
intermarried with Normans who moved north, introducing Teutonic
(Germanic
) Norman family traditions and social structures into the native Gaelic traditions.
The term is used by historians as an alternative to Anglo-Norman
when that term pertains to Scotland.
Scottish people
The Scottish people , or Scots, are a nation and ethnic group native to Scotland. Historically they emerged from an amalgamation of the Picts and Gaels, incorporating neighbouring Britons to the south as well as invading Germanic peoples such as the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse.In modern use,...
(in some sense) and partly Norman (in some sense). It is used to refer to people or things of Norman
Normans
The Normans were the people who gave their name to Normandy, a region in northern France. They were descended from Norse Viking conquerors of the territory and the native population of Frankish and Gallo-Roman stock...
, Anglo-Norman
Anglo-Norman
The Anglo-Normans were mainly the descendants of the Normans who ruled England following the Norman conquest by William the Conqueror in 1066. A small number of Normans were already settled in England prior to the conquest...
, French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
or even Flemish or Breton
Breton people
The Bretons are an ethnic group located in the region of Brittany in France. They trace much of their heritage to groups of Brythonic speakers who emigrated from southwestern Great Britain in waves from the 3rd to 6th century into the Armorican peninsula, subsequently named Brittany after them.The...
origin, but are associated with Scotland in the Middle Ages. It is also used for any of these things when they exhibit syncretism
Syncretism
Syncretism is the combining of different beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. The term means "combining", but see below for the origin of the word...
between French or Anglo-French culture on the one hand, and Gaelic
Gaels
The Gaels or Goidels are speakers of one of the Goidelic Celtic languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. Goidelic speech originated in Ireland and subsequently spread to western and northern Scotland and the Isle of Man....
culture on the other.
For instance, the Kings of Scotland between the reign of David I
David I of Scotland
David I or Dabíd mac Maíl Choluim was a 12th-century ruler who was Prince of the Cumbrians and later King of the Scots...
and the Stewart period are often described as Scoto-Norman. A classic case of Gaelic and French cultural syncretism would be Lochlann
Lochlann, Lord of Galloway
Lochlann , also known by his French name Roland, was the son and successor of Uchtred, Lord of Galloway as the "Lord" or "sub-king" of eastern Galloway....
, Lord of Galloway
Lords of Galloway
The Lords, or Kings of Galloway ruled over Galloway, in south west Scotland, for a large part of the High Middle Ages.Many regions of Scotland, including Galloway and Moray, periodically had kings or subkings, similar to those in Ireland during the Middle Ages. The Scottish monarch was seen as...
, who used both a Gaelic (Lochlann) and French name (Roland), and kept followers of both languages. Another example of a Scoto-Norman, would be Robert the Bruce, who had a dual Norman-Gaelic heritage.
Over time, several lowland
Scottish Lowlands
The Scottish Lowlands is a name given to the Southern half of Scotland.The area is called a' Ghalldachd in Scottish Gaelic, and the Lawlands ....
clans
Scottish clan
Scottish clans , give a sense of identity and shared descent to people in Scotland and to their relations throughout the world, with a formal structure of Clan Chiefs recognised by the court of the Lord Lyon, King of Arms which acts as an authority concerning matters of heraldry and Coat of Arms...
intermarried with Normans who moved north, introducing Teutonic
Teutons
The Teutons or Teutones were mentioned as a Germanic tribe by Greek and Roman authors, notably Strabo and Marcus Velleius Paterculus and normally in close connection with the Cimbri, whose ethnicity is contested between Gauls and Germani...
(Germanic
Germanic culture
Historical culture of the Germanic peoples:*Migration period art**Animal style**Anglo-Saxon cultureContemporary culture of Germanic Europe:*Dutch culture *English culture*Flemish culture*Frisian culture*Culture of German-speaking Europe...
) Norman family traditions and social structures into the native Gaelic traditions.
The term is used by historians as an alternative to Anglo-Norman
Anglo-Norman
The Anglo-Normans were mainly the descendants of the Normans who ruled England following the Norman conquest by William the Conqueror in 1066. A small number of Normans were already settled in England prior to the conquest...
when that term pertains to Scotland.
See also
- Anglo-NormanAnglo-NormanThe Anglo-Normans were mainly the descendants of the Normans who ruled England following the Norman conquest by William the Conqueror in 1066. A small number of Normans were already settled in England prior to the conquest...
- Cambro-NormanCambro-NormanCambro-Norman is a term used for Norman knights who settled in southern Wales after the Norman conquest of England in 1066. Some historians suggest that the term is to be preferred to Anglo-Norman for the Normans who invaded Ireland after 1170 — many of whom originated in Wales. However, the term...
- Hiberno-NormanHiberno-NormanThe Hiberno-Normans are those Norman lords who settled in Ireland who admitted little if any real fealty to the Anglo-Norman settlers in England, and who soon began to interact and intermarry with the Gaelic nobility of Ireland. The term embraces both their origins as a distinct community with...
- Insular French
- Italo-NormanItalo-NormanThe Italo-Normans, or Siculo-Normans when referring to Sicily, were the Italian-born descendants of the first Norman conquerors to travel to the southern Italy in the first half of the eleventh century...